With the advent of wireless modems, portable computer users are no longer dependent on land-line based phone systems and are able to communicate electronically wherever there is a wireless transmitter within range. Nonetheless, for those occasions when no wireless communications are available, many modem manufacturers include a conventional land-line phone jack in the modem so the user can still connect to a communications network. However, switching the mode of the modem between the wireless and the conventional phone connection is performed manually by the user. In addition, the user must also remember to manually power down the wireless interface when connecting through a land-line or risk running down the battery in the portable computer.
Therefore, there is a need for a modem that conveniently switches between wireless communication and land-line based communication depending on the availability of a land-line connection. Furthermore, there is also a need for a modem that automatically powers down when attached to a land-line based communication network to conserve battery power.